Tue.Dec 26, 2023

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’Tis the season for a retail tech-stack rethink

Retail Dive

An influx of in-store technologies has CIOs leaning toward cloud for integration solutions, according to research by Bain and Aptos.

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Mastercard Data: Holiday Sales Climb 3.1% YoY

Retail TouchPoints

Preliminary data for the period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 showed a 3.1% year-over-year increase in both online and in-store retail sales, according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse , which measures sales across all forms of payment and is not adjusted for inflation. The data also excludes automotive sales. In September 2023 , Mastercard had forecast a 3.7% increase for this period.

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Free Returns Are Starting To Disappear

Retail Wire

Post-holiday blues are setting in for many consumers who have received less than satisfactory gifts this season. The disappointment amplifies when they attempt to make returns, only to be confronted with unexpected return fees.

Returns 297
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Winning Over Baby Boomers with High-Quality Product Imagery

Retail TouchPoints

In today’s ever-evolving ecommerce landscape, the battle for consumer attention and loyalty rages on. Among the many factors that influence shoppers’ decisions, one stands out as a game-changer: high-quality product imagery. This insight takes center stage in our Baby Boomers & e-commerce: Understanding Generational Sentiment study, a survey of more than 1,000 consumers.

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Smart Tools & Strong Teams: A People-First Approach to AI in Sales

Speaker: Matt Sunshine, CEO at The Center for Sales Strategy

AI isn’t replacing salespeople—it’s empowering them. The most forward-thinking sales organizations are using AI to enhance human performance rather than eliminate it. From coaching and messaging to prospecting and pipeline accountability, artificial intelligence is giving managers and SDRs the new tools they need to work smarter, sell better, and close more.

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The Promise and Peril of Subscription-Based Healthcare

Retail Wire

It's undeniable that the healthcare landscape has been changing rapidly, and one conspicuous participant in this metamorphosis is the rise of subscription-based healthcare services.

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Do More In ‘24: Ten Customer Service and CX Tips for the New Year

Hyken

Happy New Year! I want this year to be your best year ever for creating amazing customer service and experiences. And for everything else, too! But as it applies to the customer experience, I thought it would be fun to share some ideas we need to do more of. With that, here are 10 ideas. Many, if not all, will apply to you and your business. Do more in 24!

More Trending

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Fragrance sees online boost during early part of holiday season: report

Retail Dive

Online sales of prestige fragrance brands were nearly double the rate of in-store sales in the early part of Q4, according to Circana.

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California Pizza Hut Franchises Plan Layoffs Ahead of Minimum Wage Increase

Retail Wire

California will soon see a drastic shift in its pizza delivery landscape. Multiple Pizza Hut franchises in the state are preparing to eliminate their own delivery driver roles, in what appears to be a response to an upcoming increase to the minimum wage for fast-food workers.

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Zulily goes out of business, plans to liquidate

Retail Dive

The retailer has entered an assignment for the benefit of creditors, an alternative to bankruptcy, after seven months under private equity ownership.

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Daihatsu Halts Shipments Amid Expanding Safety Scandal

Retail Wire

Daihatsu, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor, recently announced that it would suspend all shipments of vehicles, both abroad and within Japan.

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AI In The Aisles: The Executives Guide To Better In-Store Experiences

Speaker: Steve Worthy, MBA

The rapid rise of AI-powered displays, touchless technology, and sensory marketing is reshaping the future of in-store engagement. Yet for many retail executives, the real challenge is not identifying new tools - it is knowing which signals to trust, which inputs to prioritize, and how to architect decisions that elevate in-store leadership rather than dilute it.

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How Logistics Companies Can Keep up With Consumer Delivery Demands

RIS News

In logistics, staying ahead means embracing technology. Even if that means making financial investments, these usually pay off, resulting in streamlined operations, lower overhead, and improved staff satisfaction.

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Powerball Jackpot Soars to $685 Million With No Winner Yet

Retail Wire

The Powerball jackpot continues to ascend, reaching new heights this Christmas Day as no lucky players were able to secure the winning numbers.

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Catch up with the CX Innovator Podcast

Retail Customer Experience

In the latter half of 2023 Networld Media Group launched a podcast all about customer experience. In case you missed the first few recordings here's an easy way to catch up.

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Southwest Airlines Hits Snags During Holiday Travels

Retail Wire

This holiday season offered mainly clear skies to the millions of people jetting to their destinations, presenting a stark contrast to last year's travel woes. However, Southwest Airlines fell behind the pack.

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New Research-Backed Strategies to Empower Managers as Culture & Engagement Leaders

Speaker: Beth Sunshine, SVP, Up Your Culture

When culture isn’t consistently lived out across the organization, engagement suffers—and it often starts with a disconnect at the top. In this session, Beth Sunshine, SVP of Up Your Culture at The Center for Sales Strategy, will reveal how HR and executive leaders can close the gap between vision and execution by equipping frontline and mid-level managers to become culture carriers.

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Corporate Overhauls and Workforce Innovations Trend Despite Labor Challenges and Retail Closings

RIS News

RIS takes a look back at the year, outlining which companies faced shut-downs or massive transformations, where workforce innovation is happening, and the state of labor industry-wide.

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US Holiday Retail Sales Up 3.1%, Reveals Mastercard

Retail Wire

A Mastercard SpendingPulse report revealed that U.S. retail sales grew by 3.1% year-over-year between the start of November and Christmas Eve.

Shopping 113
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How Amazon Leverages Generative AI to Boost Customer Engagement and Store Experience

RIS News

Amazon is just one of the companies tapping generative AI across a broad range of use cases. The company recently detailed some of the ways it is leveraging these technologies to deliver substantial value.

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Mastercard SpendingPulse: UK Shoppers return to the high street as restaurants thrive during the festive season

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! According to preliminary insights from Mastercard SpendingPulse™, total UK retail sales (excluding auto) for the holiday period running from November 1 – December 24 were up 2.6% year-on-year. SpendingPulse measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment and is not adjusted for inflation.

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Breaking The Commerce Bottleneck: Your SAP Exit Plan Starts Now

Speaker: Jason Cottrell and Gireesh Sahukar

Retailers know the clock is ticking–legacy SAP Commerce support ends in 2026. Legacy platforms are becoming a liability burdened by complexity, rigidity, and mounting operational costs. But modernization isn’t just about swapping out systems, it’s about preparing for a future shaped by real-time interactions, AI powered buying assistants, and flexible commerce architecture.

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Superdry in talks to sell Middle East and US brand rights

Retail Gazette

Superdry is considering the sale of its brand rights in the US and Middle East as it looks to boost its liquidity. The fashion retailer is understood to be in discussions with potential buyers about the sale of its intellectual property rights in the markets in the hopes of raising tens of millions of pounds, The Telegraph reported. The move comes as founder and chief executive Julian Dunkerton continues to seek additional finance to boost the company’s balance sheet after it issued another prof

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Brick & Mortar Retail Is Down But Is All Set To Soar Again

Retail Minded

The landscape of our retail world has changed dramatically over the last decade. The backbone of retail was once built on the backs of brick-and-mortar stores but the fast rise of e-commerce broke that back. Consumer behaviors changed greatly and at an incredible pace. Technological advancements only added to this trend. That appears to be changing.

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Data: Boxing Day footfall rises 1.4% but remains below pre-pandemic levels

Retail Gazette

Boxing Day footfall has edged up slightly, but visits to stores continue to remain below pre-pandemic levels as some retailers remained closed on the day after Christmas. The number of shoppers at retail locations on Tuesday were up by 1.4% on last year, thanks to a rise in visits to high streets and retail parks, according to preliminary data from retailer data company MRI Software.

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How do virtual data rooms improve business efficiency?

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! In the digital age, businesses rely on data, but securely managing sensitive information shared with multiple parties is challenging. E-data rooms ensure safe storage, management, and sharing of vital documents during critical events.

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Humans + Agents = Rethinking Enterprise Commerce with AI

AI agents already analyze trends, draft content, and trigger actions across leading commerce platforms. Yet most organizations still rely on workflows built for human‑only teams, losing speed, margin, and customer loyalty. Humans + Agents: Rethinking Enterprise Commerce in the Age of AI Collaboration shows how to close that gap. In one concise read you’ll see where agent gains surface first, how early adopters prove ROI, and which lean controls keep innovation moving without risking data or bran

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Unlock Savings and Simplify Credit Card Processing with Merchant Cost Consulting

Retail Smart Guys

Having worked with different retailers for many years now, I want to share a valuable resource that has made a significant difference for our clients – Merchant Cost Consulting. Merchant Cost Consulting is a reliable partner specializing in reducing credit card processing fees for businesses. Their approach is designed to minimize costs without causing disruptions to your day-to-day operations.

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The Perfume Shop unveils Boxing Day sales fragrances edit

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Spritzmas is over and Boxing Day is here! Whether you need a top up of your favourite perfume or are looking for something new in time for New years, The Perfume Shop is the place to look for the best offerings.

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Behind the Scenes of a Professional Product Photo Shoot

Rangeme

In today’s digital world, having great product shots are essential to a brand’s success. Whether they are for grabbing the attention of buyers on your RangeMe profile, or driving D2C sales on your website and social media, how you visually showcase your products to the world should be a key component of every brand’s marketing strategy. But what exactly is it that goes into capturing these images, whether they are pure product shots in front of a white background, or lifestyle shots in a variety

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How to Sell General Merchandise

Shopify

Learn how general merchandise stores can attract a diverse array of customers.

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5 Tips for a Winning Category Management Strategy in 2025

Category Management is a cornerstone of a successful retail strategy. While it promotes collaboration between manufacturers and retailers to optimize category performance, challenges persist in its effective implementation due to hurdles in communication and collaboration across teams and partners, and more. In this guide, we outline five essential strategies for success in 2025 that will touch on all the essential pieces of a successful strategy and implementation.

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The Future of Product Launches in Retail: Trends and Predictions (2024-2026)

Retail Bound

Product launches from manufacturers have been a crucial part of the retail industry for many years, serving as a driving force for companies to stay ahead of competitors and meet the ever-changing demands of consumers. With advancements in technology and shifting consumer behavior, it is important to look towards the future and predict the trends that will shape product launches in the retail industry from 2024 to 2026.

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Shoppers to spend £253 in festive sales, the highest amount in four years

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Festive sales shoppers intend to spend an average of £253 this year – 10% more than in 2022 and the highest amount since before the pandemic – as they take advantage of early discounts and use reselling sites to find bargains.

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Import Ban on Apple Watch Actioned as the Company Files Appeal

Retail Wire

Apple filed an appeal to stop the ban of imports on its Apple Watches.

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Super Saturday sees last minute shoppers hit the High Street as footfall rises +35% year-on-year

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Data from Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, has revealed that total UK retail footfall on Super Saturday jumped by +35.4% year-on-year, as last-minute Christmas shoppers swarmed into store on the penultimate day – and the last full shopping day – before Christmas.

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Cut Costs & Complexity: Smarter Fulfillment for Home, Furniture & DIY Brands

Late deliveries. Split shipments. Spiraling freight costs. For home, furniture, and DIY brands, fulfillment has never been more complex—or more critical. This report outlines how a smarter, AI-ready order management system (OMS) helps you reduce shipping costs, streamline project-based fulfillment, and ensure accurate inventory across every channel.